SNAFU
by silvershadeus
Summary: One of Weiß's missions goes wrong, and one of them is never the same again...
1. Default Chapter

*...* is normal thought, 

//...// is Schuldig 'speaking' to Ken...this way you can tell the difference, ne? ^_^

~silvershadeus~

feedback, onegai! ^_^   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Weiß Kreuz related that would result in my being sued...I'm just borrowing the characters and such for a little while. 

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**SNAFU* - Part 1**

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It had been a highly unusual mission from the very beginning. And now two of their numbers were missing, possibly dead.  
  
Running a hand through his hair to hide his uneasiness, Kudou Yohji took a deep drag off the cigarette clenched between his teeth, eyes darting to the slim redhead in front of him.  
  
They stood in the front of the locked and shuttered flower shop, bathed in shadows…and guilt. Aya, most of all, his shoulders slumped, slender figure radiating a crushing sense of defeat.  
  
Yohji's green eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he took another drag off the cigarette, the end flaring brightly for an instant. Neither of them could quite pinpoint the moment the mission had gone to hell, but one thing was for damned sure – they were going to find out.  
  
_Or die trying._ Yohji thought wryly, a hint of bitterness tingeing the thought.  
  
One elegantly sculpted hand rose to remove the burning cigarette butt before dropping it to the floor, booted heel crushing it. Yohji shifted so that he stood sideways to the redhead, watching him from the corner of his eyes.  
  
For his part, Aya appeared oblivious to the older assassin.  
  
And then Yohji heard it, a low angry hiss. No more than an exhalation, but the sound filled him with apprehension. Lifting his head, he turned to look at his leader, eyes widening as the younger man's arm flashed out, fist slamming into the wall. Once, twice, three times…  
  
Yohji was moving, fear and worry making him clumsy, but somehow he managed to catch the cut and bleeding hand before Aya could land a fourth blow. Interposing his body between the wall and the redhead, Yohji smirked to himself as he caught the abortive move the smaller man made with his other arm.  
  
No matter his anger, his rage, Yohji knew that deep down Fujimiya Aya would never hurt someone he trusted. Someone he called friend, even if it was only to himself.  
  
Realizing that he still gripped Aya's injured fist in his own hand, Yohji loosened his hold, his hand sliding down to give Aya's wrist a reassuring squeeze before letting go completely. If Aya was surprised by the gesture, he didn't show it.  
  
Meeting the other's cold eyes, Yohji felt a sharp pang in his chest. He knew the guilt the other was feeling – he'd felt it himself all too many times. But now…now was _not_ the time for guilt. That could come later, if there was a later.  
  
"Aya, we need to go over what happened tonight. We need to figure out what went wrong."  
  
Something flickered in the depths of that icy violet gaze, and then just like that – the spark that was Fujimiya Aya winked out, to be replaced by the merciless killer.  
  
"I fucked up, Yohji. I fucked up and they died because of it. _I_ killed them."  
  
Yohji was so startled by the self-hatred and disgust he heard in Aya's voice that the other was able to walk past the shop counter before the movement even registered in his mind.  
  
When it did, Yohji knew with certainty that the moment the redhead walked out of the door to the flower shop that none of them would ever see him again. Whether he simply disappeared or managed to get himself killed in some desperate bid for revenge, Aya would remove himself from their lives forever. It was this knowledge, more than anything, that spurred Yohji into taking a reckless action he would never have even _considered_ under normal circumstances.  
  
"K'so. Aya you bastard." He muttered under his breath, but he was already moving, running the few steps between him and the counter before vaulting up and over the obstacle, one hand touching down briefly on the smooth surface for balance.  
  
Yohji felt mightily impressed with himself as he landed with effortless grace directly in Aya's path. Straightening to his full height, Yohji spread his arms out to either side of himself, effectively barring the smaller man's way, his body forming the shape of a perfect cross.  
  
Violet eyes narrowed to slits, and Aya growled low in his throat, his hand dropping to the hilt of his katana. The soft whisper of steel on leather filled the shop as Aya drew the blade, but did not fully unsheathe it.  
  
"Get out of my way, Kudou."  
  
Yohji winced inwardly. It had been a long time since Aya had called him by his last name, and it was almost like a physical blow.  
  
"Like hell I will." He replied, not even batting an eye as Aya drew his weapon fully and placed the point of the blade at the hollow of his throat, the cold metal chilling his skin.  
  
"_Move._"  
  
Green eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Had there been the slightest of tremors in the other's voice just now, or was it merely wishful thinking on his part?  
  
Knowing he had no other choice, Yohji took a step forward, forcing Aya to either impale him with his katana, or step back.  
  
He did neither, his wrist twisting, the blade flashing sliver in the space between them before he brought the blade to rest along the side of Yohji's neck, the tip of the katana angled so that it touched the older man's ear.  
  
"I don't want to play one of your games, Kudou. Move." Emphasizing his command with a tiny flick of his wrist, Aya's lips tightened as he nicked Yohji's ear, blood flowing to soak into the honey and chestnut of the other's hair.  
  
Yohji's eyes flew wide in surprise before narrowing to slits, unconsciously mirroring the slender redhead's glare.  
  
"This. Isn't. A. Game." He gritted between clenched teeth, still not backing down.  
  
Aya snorted in derision, and it looked for a moment as though he was going to say something, when Yohji's fist crashed into his face. The impact of the blow snapped the smaller man's head back violently, and he was sent stumbling backwards. The katana clattered to the floor.  
  
Shaking his head, Aya wiped at the line of blood on his chin, death in his violet eyes. Massaging his aching knuckles, Yohji returned his glare with equal force.  
  
"Goddammit, Aya! That fucking hurt!"  
  
Aya blinked at Yohji in surprise.  
  
Wasn't that supposed to be _his_ line?  
  
Before he could say anything, Yohji had taken an angry step forward, one hand tangling in the front of his shirt. Pulling the smaller man towards him until their faces were inches apart, Yohji's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Listen to me Fujimiya, and listen good. We are _not_ going to give up on Ken and Omi, and we are _not_ going to let Schwarz rip us apart. Do you understand me?"  
  
A scornful look crossed Aya's face, causing Yohji to give him a violent shake.  
  
"We are _not_ giving up on them!"  
  
Startled by the ferocity in the older man's voice, Aya did something unforgivable. He let his mask slip, and Yohji saw the fear and uncertainty behind it.  
  
Giving Aya another shake – this one gentler than the first – Yohji repeated his words with fierce determination.  
  
"We are not giving upon them, Aya. I promise you."  
  
"They're probably already dead."  
  
Green eyes widened imperceptibly at the underlying pain in Aya's voice. And Yohji suddenly understood. He was learning how Aya worked, little by little each day, and he understood this.  
  
"So that's it, then? You're just going to count them off as casualties? Just like that, without even bothering to _try_ looking for them? You said it yourself, Aya - 'probably.' Hell, you know those two are harder to kill off than a fucking cockroach. Are you going to give up on them so easily?"  
  
There must have been something in Yohji's voice that reached past the icy walls of Aya's heart, because when he looked up to meet Yohji's eyes, the other saw a spark of determination in them.  
  
"No."  
  
Yohji jerked Aya closer, green eyes staring hard into violet for a long moment, searching for something.  
  
"Are you going to hit me or kiss me, Yohji?"  
  
Startled green met amused violet, and Yohji found he was unable to hide his smile.  
  
"Maybe another time, Aya. We've got business to take care of."

************************* 

The first coherent though that surfaced in his mind was that he was wet. Soaking wet, and freezing, in fact. The second coherent thought was that his entire body felt like one huge bruise.  
  
So then, he was one huge, soaking wet bruise that was freezing cold.  
  
Filing away that helpful tidbit of information for future use, he forced one eye open, grimacing as he was met with nothing but darkness. Darkness and the god-awful stench of rot and decay.  
  
Sighing to himself, he rolled onto his side, hoping to gain the rest of his senses soon. His ears felt stuffed with something infinitely more soundproof than cotton, and the lack of noise was unnerving.  
  
Realizing that since he'd made it this far he might as well sit up, he levered himself up on one arm, his head hanging on his chest. The aching throb in his skull was still too strong for him to be able to move his head about freely. Slowly, he raised his head, opening his second eye to squint into the blackness.  
  
He sat that way, weight braced on one trembling arm, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the acute lack of light. His breathing was labored and shallow, and something rattled in his chest with each breath he took.  
  
Gradually he was able to make out a crumpled form barely two feet from him, arms outstretched towards him. In the darkness he couldn't tell if the figure's chest rose and fell with in the familiar rhythm of breath or not. Fear flared through him, almost painful in its intensity.  
  
_No.  
  
_The word repeated itself in his mind until it ran together, a desperate mantra for an exercise in futility as he struggled to drag his wounded body the few feet separating them, and failed. His own body was far too battered and weak to support him even that small distance.  
  
Cursing his body's weakness, he collapsed, his chin striking the hard stone floor with a jarring impact. Lances of bright white pain speared through his head, and he cried out softly. Tears leaked from eyes that were tightly shut, wetting the fine lashes, and trailing down one smooth cheek.  
  
//_Don't weep for him, Weiß, he'll live.//  
  
_He jerked backwards, seeking to avoid the invasive thoughts that were not his own. Cold laughter filled his mind, and it was all he could do to keep from uttering a cry of dismay.  
  
//_Che, keep on like that and you'll wind up killing yourself, Weiß.//  
  
_He froze, startled at the disgust, heavy in the voice that pervaded his mind.  
  
_Why do you care?_ He thought back, unsure if his words would be heard, and not quite certain he _wanted_ them to be.  
  
He winced as the laughter sounded once again in his head, a small frown creasing his forehead. The voice seemed to be taking root in a back corner of his mind.  
  
//_Ahhh, but there's so much unused space in here, why not? And why shouldn't I care? We're roomies, after all…or did you forget?//_

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Bwhahahahahahahahahaha! Erm, I mean TBC... 

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** *SNAFU ** is a term used by the military to mean: Situation Normal All Fouled Up 

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	2. Chapter 2

*...* is normal thought, 

//...// is Schuldig 'speaking' to Ken...this way you can tell the difference, ne? ^_^

~silvershadeus~

feedback, onegai! ^_^   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Weiß Kreuz related that would result in my being sued...I'm just borrowing the characters and such for a little while. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**SNAFU - Part 2**

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Ignoring the almost feral growl coming from the young man sitting across from him, Yohji pushed his sunglasses higher on his head. The sat in the kitchen, the contents of a first aid kit spread out over the counters, the overhead lights spotlighting the two figures.  
  
Mumbling half-hearted curses concerning the redhead's ancestry, Yohji squinted his eyes, searching for the damnably tiny splinters of wood embedded in the younger man's hand. Turning the slender hand this way and that to get a better look at it, he was all too aware of the piercing glare aimed at him.  
  
"You do realize that if you hadn't indulged yourself in a childish fit of anger that we wouldn't be doing this right now, don't you?" He asked conversationally, grinning a little to himself at the angry snarl his words caused.  
  
Aya made as though to jerk his hand away, but Yohji's grip shifted in the instant before he moved, holding onto the pale wrist firmly. The redhead made a token effort at freeing himself, but he knew Yohji wouldn't release his hold until his hand was properly bandaged.  
  
Perched on a high stool, the smaller man contented himself with giving the blonde assassin his most potent glare. Yohji chuckled, releasing Aya's wrist as he went back to tending the redhead's wounds.  
  
Truth be told, his hand was screaming in agony, the miniscule wood fragments grating on his nerves with each movement. He felt a shred of gratitude to the older man, but it was currently overshadowed by his worry for his missing teammates.  
  
Tilting his head to one side to get a better view at Aya's hand, Yohji's hand darted in, a small flash of silver catching Aya's eye before a sharp pain flared in his hand.  
  
Clenching his teeth to keep from crying out, Aya's eyes narrowed as Yohji held up a particularly large sliver of wood held tightly in the tweezers he wielded with amazing skill.  
  
"Almost done. So what do we do…contact Manx and let her know we ran into trouble, or do we go this alone?"  
  
Aya studied the top of Yohji's head as the other peered closely at his hand, one hand reaching unerringly for a gauze pad. It was clear from his tone that Yohji would go along with whatever he decided, and it was sobering to realize the extent of the older man's trust in him. When had that happened?  
  
"Did you say something?"  
  
Aya blinked as he found himself looking into puzzled green eyes.  
  
_Fuck.  
  
_"No." He growled, unsettled by his uncharacteristic slip.  
  
Shrugging it off as unimportant in the greater scheme of things, Yohji held up the bottle of antiseptic.  
  
"Whatever you say, Aya. This is going to hurt." He warned, worried eyes flicking up to meet Aya's.  
  
"Just do it."  
  
Yohji's lips thinned to a thin line as he poured the bottle's contents over the fresh cuts on Aya's hand, feeling the redhead's muscles tense under his hand. He could empathize; too often, he himself had felt the burning sting of the antiseptic on his own wounds.  
  
Wordlessly, Yohji bandaged the wound, his slim fingers strangely graceful as he worked silently.  
  
Sitting back, he examined his efforts critically, his mouth drawn down into a slight frown. Aya held his hand up, gingerly flexing his fingers, his eyes widening a little as they responded with surprisingly little pain.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Startled by the redhead's acknowledgement, Yohji waved his thanks off, a tiny smile crossing his face.  
  
"It'll have to do for now. You should get it looked at later, when we have time – you did some serious damage to the wall – who knows what you did to your hand."  
  
Aya grunted in response, sitting up and wincing as his spine let lose with several loud pops, strained muscles protesting the sudden movement. Shaking his head, he glanced over at Yohji, eyes narrowing at what he saw.  
  
Without the trademark pair of sunglasses perched on his nose, the dark circles under Yohji's eyes were glaringly obvious, as was the tired slump to his shoulders. Violet eyes took in the other's battered state, the rips and tears in the dark material of his clothes.  
  
Judging by the way his body ached, and the ways his eyes burned from lack of sleep, he was in no better shape. If they were to have any hope of finding Ken and Omi, they would need to be rested and fresh. In their current state, they wouldn't be doing anyone any good.  
  
Feeling Yohji's eyes on him, Aya looked up to meet his gaze. He noted the way the older assassin stiffened, like a recruit coming to attention in the presence of an officer.  
  
"We'd do more harm than good if we tried to look for them right now."  
  
Yohji's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to protest – and then he saw the haunted look in Aya's eyes.  
  
Closing his mouth, Yohji forced himself to nod. It must have been like pulling teeth for _Aya_ of all people, to admit to his own weakness.  
  
"All right. But then what do we do?"  
  
Aya got to his feet, and turned to leave.  
  
"After that, we either find them, or we make sure whoever's to blame pays for it."  
  
Left standing alone in the kitchen, Yohji stared after the younger man's retreating back wondering, not for the first time, just what it was that drove the violet-eyed man so strongly.

**********************

'"Roomies?'"  
  
Again, the laughter, but this time, he could have sworn that it was somehow familiar…  
  
_//I should hope so, Weiß; we've known each other long enough. I'm hurt that you don't recognize me.//  
  
_And just like that, he _knew.  
  
__"Schuldig?"  
  
__//Right the first time, Weiß. I'm sure there's a booby prize for you here somewhere._//_  
  
_Shock. Anger. Confusion.  
  
_//And let's not forget fear. Because you are afraid, aren't you, Weiß? I can feel it. Such a wonderfully intense sensation – too bad you can't experience it like I can…//  
  
_"Get the fuck out of my head, you sick bastard!"  
_  
//Tsk, tsk, tsk. _Such _ language for one so young. It's terrible, what today's youth is coming to.//  
  
_"What the hell are you up to, bastard?" He snarled, eyes darting about frantically as though he could see the smirking German in the all-enveloping darkness.  
  
_//Me? Why nothing, Weiß. I'm just settling in for a nice, comfortable stay. Like I said, there's more than enough room in here for me…hmmm. Maybe I could put in that walk-in closet I've always wanted…//  
  
_"Damn you – "

_//Honestly, I don't see why you're so angry, Weiß. This whole mess _is_ your fault, you know. You do remember that, at least, don't you? If anyone has the right to be upset here, it should be _me_.//_

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Bwhahahahahahahahahaha! Erm, I mean TBC... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	3. Chapter 3

*...* is normal thought, 

//...// is Schuldig 'speaking' to Ken...this way you can tell the difference, ne? ^_^

~silvershadeus~

feedback, onegai! ^_^   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Weiß Kreuz related that would result in my being sued...I'm just borrowing the characters and such for a little while. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**SNAFU - Part 3**

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The last thing he remembered was the blinding flash of light, panicked screams coming from all around him, and the horrified expression on his teammate's face. Everything after that was a blank.  
  
This might explain why he wasn't so keen on returning to consciousness, where he might have to face the fact that his friend might have been killed. And that he could have done something to stop it.  
  
If only he'd seen the Schwarz assassin sooner. If only he'd moved faster. If only he'd -  
  
Pausing in his self-recrimination as his hearing returned, he realized that he could hear someone talking. And whoever it was, they were _far_ from happy.  
  
"Goddammit! I'm not going to play your twisted games!"  
  
Frowning to himself, he carefully slitted one eye open, peering cautiously around him, taking in the inky blackness of his surroundings. Barely two feet from him was the darker outline of a vaguely familiar human form.  
  
"Bastard, leave him out of this!"  
  
He was filled with a rush of relief; and it was like a weight was suddenly lifted from his shoulders as he realized that his teammate was safe. There was no mistaking the familiar snarl in that outraged voice. He'd heard it all too often.  
  
The other was sitting a few feet away with his back to him, listing dangerously to one side as he carried on a conversation…with himself?  
  
"Like I'm supposed to believe you? You mess with people's minds for the hell of it! Just leave me alone you – "  
  
Closing his eyes, he decided that for now he should concentrate on getting himself mobile again. His teammate's grasp on reality could wait a little bit longer.   
  
"Oh yeah, sure. Try and act as though you never – liar! You did so! I have the scars to prove it!"  
  
He hoped. 

****************************

//_You're so stuck on the past, Weiß. Things are different now, no? Don't you think we should talk this out?//  
  
_"No! I want you out of my head!"  
  
He paused as he felt something that was eerily similar to a sigh in his mind, and then he felt a rush of overwhelming guilt.  
  
It really wasn't the German's fault; he'd just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. It was sad, really, how badly Schuldig was misunderstood –  
  
"Quit doing that!"  
  
//_Doing what?//  
  
_He really had no idea how the Schwarz assassin managed to sound innocent – something he most certainly was _not_, but –  
  
//_That hurts, you know. It really, really hurts to know that you think of me like that. I'm not really such a bad guy, once you get to know me.//  
  
_"I don't want to get to know you!" He snarled, his head beginning to pound again. "And stop playing with my mind!"  
  
For the life of him he couldn't remember what had happened, and worst of all, he didn't have the faintest clue as to how to get rid of the redheaded psychopath shacked up in his head.  
  
From what he _could_ tell, they were in some kind of underground chamber; no doubt a part of the caves and tunnels that ran throughout the underside of the city beneath the train system.  
  
Groaning to himself, he buried his face in his hands.  
  
There were literally hundreds of miles of unexplored tunnels down here, and with no point of reference to start from, they were as good as dead.   
  
_Great. This is just fucking great. We're stuck God knows where, with no weapons, no food, no water, and there's a crazy assassin running amuck in my mind. How could things get any worse?  
  
_//_Che, and here I thought you Weiß boys were supposed to be all genki and optimistic. Pollyanna, you aren't.//  
  
_ That did it. That just fucking did it. It wasn't bad enough that Schuldig was rooting around in his head taking out his memories, looking at them like so many photographs, and making snide comments. It wasn't bad enough that his friend was lying unconscious beside him so frighteningly still. It wasn't bad enough that his head felt as though it were going to explode, but to have Schuldig – one of his mortal enemies – mocking him like that, it was more than he could take.  
  
"Fuck you, Schuldig! I'd like to see how you'd do in my place! I'd like to see your goddamned 'ray of sunshine' act then!"  
  
He smiled grimly as he felt the German's shock, and then so softly he almost missed it…  
  
//_Think you've got it hard, Weiß? Try looking at it from my point of view – at least you _have_ a body.//  
  
_And just like that, the odd sensation that was _Schuldig_ was gone from the forefront of his mind. He could still sense him in that far back corner, but it was almost as though the Schwarz assassin was trying to hide from him.  
  
His eyes widened, and he suddenly felt, incredibly enough, remorse for his harsh words towards Schuldig. And he couldn't blame it all on the stress of the moment, not really.  
  
What it all came down to was the fact that he was scared. He was scared that he had somehow let his teammate down, that _he_ was going to have to pay the price for his stupidity. He was afraid of dying, and he was afraid of what had happened to him.  
  
It had been that fear and uncertainty that had made him lash out blindly at the nearest convenient target – which just happened to be Schuldig. Never mind the fact that he probably deserved it, but still…  
  
"Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you, all right? I'm just upset right now."  
  
He waited for a response, and eventually he got one. A strange little twinge of something very much acceptance, like a wave breaking on the shoreline, in his mind.  
  
Heaving a purely internal sigh, he pushed himself to his feet, and nearly fell as he heard the achingly sweet sound of a familiar voice from behind him. He spun around – or tried to at any rate – a hopeful smile on his face.  
  
"Ken-kun…why are you talking to yourself?" 

****************************

"Have I mentioned yet, that I think this is a monumentally _bad_ idea?"  
  
Stifling a sigh of annoyance, Aya gave the lanky assassin a sideways glance. Luckily for him, the older man didn't notice how his gaze lingered on the hollow of his throat, or the tiny dot of bruised flesh there.  
  
He had been surprised, when Yohji had called his bluff the night before, and he had been forced to back his threat against his will. Even more surprisingly, the blond didn't seem to be holding a grudge, which was not something _he_ could say about himself. His jaw was throbbing, and a greenish-blue bruise had formed where Yohji had punched him.  
  
"Several times, now." He snapped irritably.  
  
Yohji seemed to consider this for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly.  
  
"And yet you _still_ seem determined to go through with it."  
  
Not a question, and not really a criticism of his methods, but it was close enough.  
  
Not bothering to hide his annoyance any longer, Aya turned to the taller man, grabbing a handful of the smooth fabric of his shirt in one hand. Yohji's lips quirked and one eyebrow rose in obvious amusement.  
  
"Didn't we do this last night?" He drawled, reaching up with one hand to push his sunglasses higher up on his nose.  
  
Violet eyes glared balefully up at him, but the slender redhead didn't say anything. He didn't dare; not while the two of them were standing in the middle of a busy sidewalk, countless strangers giving them a wide berth – and odd looks. And not where anyone could overhear their conversation.  
  
His hand tightened briefly, before dropping back to his side. Bowing his head, he focused on a crack in the sidewalk as he spoke; anywhere else but on those damned green eyes that saw too much. That _knew_ too much.  
  
"Dammit, Yohji. This isn't a joke, and it's not one of your games."  
  
Blinking slowly, Yohji placed two of his fingers under Aya's chin, and gently lifted it until their eyes met. Green eyes narrowed as the younger man flinched, his eyes darting away.  
  
"I never said it was, Aya." He said quietly. "But there are other ways to go about this – better ways. You aren't in this alone, I'm here..."  
  
_…for you.  
  
_The words may have gone unspoken, but that did not mean that Aya did not hear them.   
  
"And what the hell do you mean by 'one of my games?'" Yohji demanded angrily, glaring at the redhead.  
  
Inwardly, where no one could see it, Aya smiled.   
  
Muttering under his breath about arrogant, sanctimonious redheaded bastards when he received a knowing look from the silent redhead as his answer, Yohji fell into step at Aya's side.  
  
"And don't think I'll forget this, Fujimiya." He warned the younger man, missing the way Aya's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.  
  
_That,_ he mused, _I have no doubt of, Yohji._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bwhahahahahahahahahaha! Erm, I mean TBC... 

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	4. 

Wow...it's been a while since I last posted part of this fic, huh? Anyway, here's part four, I'm working ont he next part in between other fics...so I'm not exactly sure *when* it'll be out...^_^;;

Oh, and I've had to change the rating to 'R' becasue of language, but everything else is the the same as it ever was. ^_^

~silvershadeus~

feedback, onegai! ^_^ 

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Weiß Kreuz related that would result in my being sued...I'm just borrowing the characters and such for a little while. 

*...* is normal thought, 

//...// is Schuldig 'speaking' to Ken...this way you can tell the difference, ne? ^_^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**SNAFU - Part 4 **

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There were several ways Ken could have answered that question. All of them sounded a lot better than admitting to the fact that he had an unwanted passenger in his head. Hell, even admitting to insanity would have been better. At least he'd have a reasonable answer to why he was talking to himself.  
  
//_And you actually think that would be better than admitting you were talking to me? I'm hurt_.//  
  
_Shut up. You don't get a say in the matter_  
  
//_Why not?_//  
  
_Do you _really_ need to ask?_  
  
//_Tch...you never were much fun, Weiß. Now the chibi on the other hand..._//  
  
_Leave him alone!_  
  
Wincing as Schuldig's laughter filled his mind, Ken noticed that Omi was staring at him. He had pulled himself up to his feet, and judging by the set of his shoulders, he was prepared to run, if he had to. If Ken gave him reason to.   
  
//_What do you know...he's smarter than he looks._//  
  
_Shut up!_   
  
Tensing as Ken actually _growled_, Omi took a half step back, a sick feeling in his stomach.  
  
"Ken-kun...what's wrong?"   
  
Ken's eyes widened as he heard the fear and uncertainty in Omi's voice. Schuldig wasn't laughing anymore, he seemed to be enjoying the little scene playing out before him.   
  
//_Better answer him, Weiß; he's going to run if you don't. And in the condition he's in, he'd wind up getting lost. With all the tunnels and passageways down here, you'd never find the body._//  
  
_Shut - _  
  
// _ - Up. Yes, I know. But what are you going to do about _him_? You're scaring him. I can feel it from here._//  
  
Sighing, Ken realized that the German had a point. Even if he was a bastard.  
  
//_I heard that, you know._// Schuldig huffed, somehow managing to give the impression that he was pouting.   
  
Ignoring him, Ken regarded Omi silently, trying to put his thoughts in order.   
  
"Omi...it's kind of hard to explain. I'm not even sure I _can_ explain, I'm not sure I understand everything that happened, myself. I just - it's..." Ken trailed off, obviously at a loss for words.   
  
How in the hell was he supposed to explain something he didn't even understand himself? He could barely remember the reason he and Omi had been down here in the first place, and even those memories were hazy. It had been for some kind of mission, he knew that much. And somehow, Schwarz had been involved; otherwise, Schuldig wouldn't be stuck in his head.  
  
//_I'm impressed. Figure that much out by yourself, did you?_//  
  
_Schuldig?_  
  
//_...Yes?_//  
  
_Shut the hell up._  
  
//_Touchy, touchy. The chibi's staring at you again, by the way._//  
  
Although it was too dark to make out the other's face, Omi read Ken's body language easily. He was tense, and hurting. It showed in the way he held himself, and in the set of his shoulders.   
  
"Ken-kun? Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"  
  
Blinking at the question, Ken wasn't sure what to say. Omi was willing to overlook the fact that he might be stark raving mad to see if he was injured? He felt an odd echo of sentiment in the back of his mind.   
  
//_What's _wrong_ with him?_//   
  
Smiling at Schuldig's surprise, Ken shook his head.  
  
_Nothing. That's just the way he is._  
  
"Nothing serious, Omi. Just a little bruised. Are you okay?"  
  
Omi gave a little sigh of relief at Ken's answer. He still sounded sane, but that didn't really mean much in the long run. Omi knew that someone didn't have to sound crazy to be crazy. It was just a lot handier if they did.   
  
"...I'm fine..."   
  
Ken's eyes narrowed. Omi's breathing sounded a little off, but he'd been too distracted by Schuldig to notice earlier. Taking a closer look, he saw that Omi was standing slightly hunched over, one arm curled protectively around his torso.   
  
"Omi..."  
  
Ken clenched his jaw as a feeling of frustration washed through him. Omi was like a cat in that regard, you'd never know he was hurt until it became too serious to ignore, or he collapsed. Ken would have shaken some sense into the younger man long ago, if he'd thought it would have worked.   
  
//_Touch him._//  
  
_What?_  
  
Schuldig sighed, obviously disgusted with Ken's inability to obey such a simple command.  
  
//_I can't read his mind like this. You'll have to touch him in order for me to do that._//  
  
_Why should I do that?_  
  
//_Look, it's simple. I want out of your head as fast as possible and back into my own body. _You_ want out of here with your little kitten as soon as possible..._and_ me out of your head, right?_//   
  
_Your point being?_  
  
//_I know you're not moving from here until you know the chibi's all right. You touch him, and I can find out how badly he's hurt for you. Then we can pack up this lovely little picnic and get the hell out of here!_//   
  
_How do you know that will even work?_  
  
//_I don't. But it's a reasonable thing to assume. Don't you think? I'm a telepath. Just because I'm not in my original body doesn't mean I'd stop being a telepath, does it?_//  
  
Ken had to admit that what Schuldig had said made some kind of sense.  
  
_Are you saying that in order to be able to read other people's minds now, you'd need me to touch them?_  
  
//_I would assume that much would be obvious, yes._//  
  
It was difficult not to react to the German's despairing mental tone of voice, but somehow Ken managed.  
  
_But earlier...you said you could feel that I was scaring Omi._  
  
//_Even an idiot could tell you were scaring him. Think about it, Weiß. Wouldn't you be scared too if you were in his place? I might not be able to read his mind, but I can feel an emotion as strong as that with no problem. He's projecting._//  
  
Ken blinked at Schuldig's reply. He honestly hadn't expected one. Then something else occurred to him.  
  
_You're assuming two things with that line of thought, you know._  
  
//_Oh? And what would those two things be?_//  
  
Ken sighed, surprised to find that hew really did feel bad about what he was about to tell Schuldig.   
  
_One, you're assuming Omi will let me get close enough to touch him. And two...you're assuming your body is still in one piece._[1]

*****************************

Listening to the echoing sound of their footsteps, Yohji pulled his coat tighter around himself, trying to shake the feeling of foreboding off. The flickering light fixtures on the walls weren't really helping. He was reminded of one of Ken's horror movies. The kind where the insane killer jumped out of the shadows and -   
  
Yohji shuddered slightly, his hands tightening around the fabric of his coat. Well _that_ wasn't helping either.  
  
"Aya...are you sure this is the right place?"  
  
Biting back the impulse to snap at Yohji, Aya sighed inwardly.  
  
"It's the address I was given."  
  
Somehow, Yohji didn't find Aya's answer reassuring in the least. There was always the possibility - no matter how slim - that the redhead could have written the address down wrong. Or possibly misheard it, or...  
  
"_What?_"  
  
Aya had stopped to glare at him, the expression on his face daring Yohji to question him.  
  
"It's the address I was given." Aya repeated, a hint of steel in his voice.  
  
Shaking his head, Yohji gestured for Aya to continue down the hallway, muttering under his breath darkly. It wasn't like Aya had never gotten a flower delivery address wrong before. He'd done it several times, in fact.   
  
Coming to a stop for the second time, Aya turned back to face Yohji, one hand placed on his hip. Violet eyes narrowed slightly.  
  
"What is your problem, Yohji? You've been acting like a child ever since we arrived here. Spit it out."  
  
Caught by Aya's gaze, Yohji fumbled for some kind of smooth reply. For some inexplicable reason, he couldn't stop staring. He couldn't remember having seen eyes that color before meeting Aya. It was such a beautiful shade, too. Almost like -   
  
"Yohji."  
  
Blinking, Yohji realized that Aya didn't need to raise his voice; there was just something about it that made people listen. Maybe it had to do something with the look in his eyes at the moment, or the katana that was hidden beneath his coat.  
  
"Aya...I..."  
  
Arching an inquisitive eyebrow as Yohji trailed off, obviously at a loss for words, Aya crossed his arms over his chest and waited patiently. It was his way of showing the respect he felt Yohji deserved. The least he could do was listen to his opinions, even though he might not agree with them.  
  
"It's just...Aya do you think this will really work? We don't even know if he was important enough to them to risk getting themselves caught. And we're short a few people, here, too. I think we should try something else first."  
  
"Weren't you the one who told me that we shouldn't give up on Ken and Omi? "  
  
Yohji's eyes narrowed as he caught the amused look in Aya's eyes.   
  
"What are you getting at, Aya?"  
  
"You'll see. Yohji, do you trust me?"  
  
He didn't even have to think about it. He'd known Aya long enough to know how enough about how his mind worked.  
  
"Of course, do you need to ask?"  
  
Though it didn't show, Aya was surprised at Yohji's unquestioning trust. It was humbling to know someone had that much faith in him.  
  
"Then trust me."  
  
"I _do_ trust you, Aya. We all do." Yohji said, knowing it was the truth.   
  
"Good. Because we're here."  
  
"What?"  
  
Gesturing at a door just ahead of them, Aya looked back at Yohji.  
  
"This is the right address."  
  
Yohji's eyes narrowed at Aya's words. It was as close to getting an 'I told you so' out of Aya that he was likely to get. Oddly enough, Yohji wasn't sure if he should be amused by that fact, or simply irritated. Seeing the smirk Aya's eyes, Yohji decided to settle on being annoyed.  
  
"Well then. After you, Aya."  
  
Inclining his head in acknowledgement, Aya raised his hand and knocked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bwhahahahahahahahahaha! Erm, I mean TBC... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

[1] - The whole 'Does Schuldig have a body or not?' question will be answered in the  
next part...^_^;;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	5. Do you believe in magic?

Ack! Don't hate me because it's hokey! Please! *cowers behind computer chair* No really, this is where everything starts to get a bit...umm...well, cheesy. ^_^;; (hopefully not as cheesy as some of the episodes in the series were, though...>_)

It actually sounded good at the time, and well...now...umm...yeah. Anyway, this is an extra long part because I needed to explain some stuff and not leave people wondering 'what the hell?' ... or at least not as many people. >_ I'll explain more in the next part, honest! (You know, like mission details. And just why *does* Aya know so much about the mission that Yohji and the others didn't? Makes you wonder, eh? ^_^;;)

And I mean no disrespect to God or any religious people out there; Schu's opinion on the matter of God and other religious matters does not reflect my own opinions. I also hope I didn't even have to say that, because I'm hoping that whoever is reading this fic is mature enough to understand the difference between fiction and reality. This fic is meant to entertain, not offend. Please keep that in mind as you read it.

*...* is normal thought,   
  
//...// is Schuldig 'speaking' to Ken...this way you can tell the difference, ne? ^_^

~silvershadeus~

feedback, onegai! ^_^   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Weiß Kreuz related that would result in my being sued...I'm just borrowing the characters and such for a little while. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**SNAFU - Part 5 **

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Considering their surroundings, Yohji was expecting the door to creak as it slowly opened inwards, adding to the horror movie atmosphere. What he got was the muted click and slide off a lock being undone, and a half-familiar face looking back at them, as the door was pulled open without so much as a squeak.   
  
"It's you."  
  
The words were spoken in an almost resentful tone, the young woman before them watching them with an angry scowl on her face. If it weren't for that, and the fact that she was wearing bloodstained robes, Yohji would have thought her pretty, in an unconventional way. Long blonde hair was pulled back into two thick braids that hung down her back, feathery tendrils of hair that fell across large brown eyes. As it was, Yohji found her unblinking countenance disturbing.   
  
Aya, as to be expected, showed no outward signs of what he was thinking or feeling.   
  
"You called us." He said, obviously expecting some kind of response from her.  
  
Her eyes widened briefly before narrowing into angry slits, the scowl becoming more pronounced. Yohji was reminded of a former girlfriend that had looked like that right before she started yelling and throwing things at him.   
  
"I do believe that you are mistaken."  
  
Standing slightly behind and to the side of Aya, Yohji was able to catch the slight tightening of the skin around Aya's eyes, the way he squared his jaw... Aya was not a happy camper. Glancing back at the blonde-haired woman, Yohji tried to remember where he'd seen her before. He was sure he would have remembered anyone who could match Aya glare for glare like that.  
  
"Perhaps you are the one who is mistaken."   
  
Yohji glanced at Aya, then back at the woman. It was obvious that they were not going to get anywhere while they indulged themselves in a glaring contest.   
  
"Look...as amusing as it is watching you two make eyes at each other, _I_ for one would like to know what exactly we're doing here. And, by the way, if it's not too much trouble, could we maybe get out of the hallway?"  
  
Ignoring the glares he received for his trouble, Yohji glared back. Although he didn't know what was behind the half-open door, he was certain it couldn't be as bad as the hallway. And at least the lighting was better.   
  
"Is he with you?" The woman asked, eyes flitting dismissively over Yohji.  
  
Aya nodded, shooting Yohji a look that clearly warned him to keep his big mouth shut if he didn't want a katana blade wedged between his ribs.   
  
"Fine. You might as well come in then. They'll find this place sooner or later anyway."   
  
Following Aya as the blonde woman held the door open; Yohji was surprised to see that the room was fairly large. At least the size of the entire first floor of the Koneko, with hallways leading off to other rooms deeper in the building. Looking around, Yohji thought the place looked eerily like the waiting room of a doctor's office...minus the requisite out of date magazines, of course.  
  
Walking past them, the woman took a seat in a leather-upholstered chair facing them. Resting her arms on the elegantly carved armrests, she looked like nothing else so much as a displeased queen on her throne.  
  
"You said that I called you? While I cannot say that you were lying, I can assure you that I was not the one who contacted you."  
  
Wondering if he was the only one aware of the stench of blood in the air or the sickening splotches of crimson on the woman's clothing, Yohji watched Aya closely for his response. He needed something to ground him in reality at the moment, and Aya was as stable and reliable as Yohji could get. There were certain things about Aya Fujimiya that never changed, no matter what mood he was in, or what was happening around him.   
  
"I pray that you forgive me, sister, but I was the one who called them. I felt that circumstances warranted it."  
  
All eyes turned to the new speaker, Yohji's widening slightly. Another blonde stood just in the doorway leading to a back hallway, dressed identically to the woman seated before them, in dark gray robes, bloodstains included.   
  
"Sister?" Yohji blurted, his gaze going from one blonde to the other.   
  
"Yes. I am Hanako, and you have already met my older sister, Kei."  
  
"Already met..."   
  
Giving Yohji a look from the corner of his eye, Aya gave a small shake of his head.  
  
"In the tunnels. She was the one performing the ceremony."  
  
Yohji's eyes widened. So that's where he'd seen her face before. Right before everything had gone to hell. But then...didn't that mean that she was -  
  
Seeing the sudden recognition and understanding in Yohji's eyes, Kei snorted rudely. Getting to her feet, she walked over to stand beside her sister.   
  
"Yes...I was the one performing that damned ceremony...and the four of you were meant to stop it. Obviously, you failed."  
  
"We didn't understand what we were up against. You didn't tell us Schwarz would be involved."  
  
Raising a skeptical eyebrow at Aya's statement, Kei turned back to face him. Doubt was plain on her face.  
  
"I see...and if you had known? Would you still have failed to protect your comrades in such a spectacular manner? You do realize what the ceremony was meant to do, do you not? You _were_ told, were you not? Are you going to blame your failure on others, simply because you are incompetent?"   
  
To Yohji's surprise, Aya had no answer for Kei's accusations. For that matter, neither did he. He was getting the sneaking suspicion that Aya knew far more about this mission than he'd been letting on. In fact, he doubted he would be too far wrong to say that Aya had been holding out on him. And maybe the others as well. The thought did not sit well with him.  
  
"Aya?"  
  
"You were given all the information that you needed. We were told that you would be able to handle yourselves. We were as much at risk as any of you, and yet you still failed to do your duty. You failed not only yourselves, but your teammates."  
  
Yohji felt a sinking feeling in his gut as Aya visibly winced.   
  
"You - "  
  
"Sister! Enough, I beg you. They feel the loss of their comrades as a physical pain; you can see it in their eyes. Please, do not make things worse for them."  
  
Breaking off mid-sentence, Kei looked into her sister's eyes and reluctantly subsided, though the angry look in her eyes remained. Smiling sadly, Hanako walked forward, reaching for Aya's hands.  
  
He jerked backwards, nearly bumping into Yohji.   
  
"We didn't come here for you to offer us your pity. You told me that you'd found him. Is he here?"  
  
Hanako looked taken aback by Aya's tone of voice, but quickly regained her composure. Kei watched silently, dark eyes focused intently on Aya, as though waiting for something.  
  
"Ye... Yes, his body is. But it has been badly wounded. Interrupting the ceremony as you did was dangerous...for all involved. We are lucky though, his body will recover, given enough time."  
  
The bad feeling was back, and Yohji couldn't quite find it within himself to be surprised when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. It wasn't so much what she'd said, but rather the phrasing she'd used.   
  
"His _body?_"  
  
Hanako turned apologetic brown eyes on Yohji, a sad smile on her face.  
  
"The ceremony was successful, in a manner of speaking. The ultimate purpose for it was achieved, though the results were not as we had expected. But...perhaps that is a blessing in and of itself. No lives were lost this way, and there is still a chance that - "  
  
"You said that there was a possibility that you could tell us if our friends were alive or not once you'd found him. Were you telling the truth?"   
  
Blinking at Aya's tone of voice, Hanako cocked her head to the side, regarding him thoughtfully.   
  
"As long as his mind is stable in its new setting, I should be able to determine that. But his body is still too weak. If I were to attempt something as dangerous as that, it would kill it. And any hope of finding your friends state of being, as well I'm afraid."  
  
Wondering just when it was he'd inadvertently stepped in into the Twilight Zone; Yohji closed his eyes and counted slowly backwards from ten. Maybe when he opened his eyes the world would be back to making sense again. Or as much as it ever had.  
  
Opening his eyes, he found Aya scowling at him, violet eyes narrowed in irritation. Hanako was watching him with a confused expression on her face, and Kei was smirking nastily at him. No, things had definitely taken a turn for the weird.  
  
He was tempted to pinch himself to see if he was dreaming, but at the look in Aya's eyes, he stifled the impulse. Besides, as he well knew, only life could be as bizarre and confusing as that. His dreams tended to be much, much simpler.  
  
"Aya...since I'm assuming whatever it is you're talking about has something to do with what you told me this morning, I'm going to assume that you're talking about Schuldig. But let me know if I'm wrong here, okay?"   
  
Aya grunted noncommittally, inclining his head slightly in acknowledgement of Yohji's mental capacities.  
  
"Okay then...so the bastard survived that explosion?"  
  
Aya grunted again. "Apparently."  
  
"So...that means that Ken and Omi probably survived too, since they were caught up in it along with him?"  
  
Aya looked like he wanted to agree with Yohji's reasoning, but something in his eyes told Yohji that he couldn't. Not without definite proof. Seeing it, Yohji smiled. He understood what Aya couldn't say. Understood _why_ he couldn't say it.  
  
"So then why are we just standing around here for? Why don't we go back down into the tunnels and look for them?"  
  
"Yohji...Tanaka's men scattered down there when we interrupted the ceremony. It's too dangerous to begin looking until we have a reference point to start from."  
  
Aya sounded tired and worried, though Yohji doubted either Hanako or Kei heard it in his voice. It was something only someone who'd known Aya long enough would know to listen for.  
  
"Okay then, how are we going to do that?"  
  
Hanako shifted nervously, her eyes darting back to meet those of her sister.  
  
"We..._I_ can help you with that, but it will take some time."  
  
"What do you mean by that?"   
  
Sighing, Hanako toyed with the end of one long braid, unwilling to meet Yohji's eyes. It was clear that what she had to say was not an easy thing for her. Yohji smiled at her in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.  
  
"Do...do you believe in magic?"

**********

It was silent for a long time inside Ken's head.   
  
_Schuldig? Did you hear - _  
  
//_Yes, I heard what you said, Weiß. I may not have ears at the moment, but I _did_ hear you!_//  
  
Sighing, Ken kept an eye on Omi as he conversed with the clearly upset German.  
  
//_Damn right I'm upset! If you'd stop rubbing it in my face that I don't have a body I think things between us would be going a hell of a lot better!_//  
  
_Schuldig...look, I'm sorry, all right? It's just...how can you be so sure that you still have a body? I mean..._  
  
//_I don't know I how, I just know._//  
  
_But..._how?  
  
Ken felt that odd fluttering sensation in his mind that was a mental equivalent to a sigh, and an odd pressure in his mind as though Schuldig was pacing.  
  
//_I am._//  
  
_What?_  
  
//_Pacing. Or as close to it as I can get, anyway._//  
  
_Okay, but that doesn't explain how you know that - _  
  
Another frustrated sigh.  
  
//_How do you know you're alive? How do you know you're sentient? How do you know you have a soul? You just _know_, don't you? That's how I know my body is still in one piece._//  
  
Frowning, Ken didn't see Omi edging away from him.  
  
_You believe people have souls? That's something I never thought I'd hear you say. It's a little...I don't know...religious I guess. I never thought of you that way._  
  
//_Just because I'm not on the side of truth and justice doesn't mean that I don't believe in God. The bastard has to exist; otherwise, there'd be no Devil. And I believe in the concept of souls, because mine's been damned since I took my first breath, but I'm sure you don't want to hear about that right now, do you? I know my body's intact because I can feel it. I'm still...'anchored' to it, for lack of a better word._//  
  
_'Anchored' to it? I don't - _  
  
//_I'll explain it all later if you want, but for now, I'd keep a closer eye on the chibi if I were you. He looks like he's going to bolt any minute now._//  
  
Swearing under his breath, Ken turned his attention back to Omi, who was still moving slowly away from him.  
  
"Omi...wait. Let me explain, please? I know this whole thing is kind of...freaky...but there _is_ an explanation for it."  
  
"Ken-kun...I'm starting to remember a little bit about what happened, I think. Little bits and pieces...but..."  
  
Ken's chest felt tight at the utter confusion in Omi's voice, coupled with fear. He knew Omi hated dark places. He knew Omi hated not remembering, because it brought back bad memories. He knew Omi hated -   
  
//_Yes, yes. The chibi hates a lot of things, I get it. That last part didn't really make any sense you know, but I guess I should expect that coming from you. Now talk to him before he scares himself worse._//  
  
Ken never thought he'd have occasion to be grateful to Schuldig, but at that moment, he was.  
  
//_Yes, well...don't tell anyone, and we can call it even._//  
  
_Even? But - _  
  
//_Talk to the chibi already, would you? You might as well tell him you're crazy, he probably thinks you are by now._//  
  
"Omi...what do you remember? Exactly, I mean. It might make what I have to say easier."  
  
Omi shifted his feet nervously, obviously unsure of what to do or say. Ken found he couldn't blame him, not in those circumstances at any rate. For all Omi knew, he could have had some nutty German assassin wandering around lose in his head. Go figure.  
  
//_Oh how very amusing, Weiß. You _do_ have a sense of humor...I was beginning to wonder._//  
  
Choosing to ignore Schuldig's sarcastic comment, Ken focused his attention on Omi, straining his eyes to see in the darkness surrounding them.   
  
//_That won't work, you know. Even _I_ can barely see in this light._//  
  
Wondering idly how Schuldig was able to see in the first place, Ken decided to set Omi at ease by moving into a less threatening position.   
  
//_Although I don't see how you could consider _that_ a threatening stance, Weiß. You can barely stand, let alone chase after him._//  
  
_But _he_ doesn't know that, does he?_ Ken shot back, carefully lowering himself until he was sitting in a cross-legged position facing Omi.   
  
Omi had taken a wary step away from Ken as he'd moved, but stopped when he realized what he was doing. A tiny smile tugged at his lips at the maneuver. Ken wanted him to let his guard down. That was fine with him; he didn't think he was up to running that far anyway. And besides...it was _Ken_.  
  
"Where did you want me to start, Ken-kun?"   
  
//_Try from the beginning and on from there?_//  
  
_Shut up, Schuldig._  
  
//_Well where _do_ you want him to start then? That makes as much sense as anything else, don't you think?_//  
  
_Schuldig..._  
  
//_Fine, fine, I'll shut up. Maybe I can see if you have any memories from when you were a baby stuffed away somewhere in here..._those_ should be good for a laugh or two. It's amazing, what the subconscious remembers that the conscious mind isn't aware of, you know. Absolutely amazing._//  
  
Not liking the sound of that in the least, Ken winced as he felt that strange little 'nudging' sensation in the back of his mind.   
  
_Schuldig!_  
  
//_Hmmm...let's see...high school memories...nope. Nice haircut, by the way. _Very_ chic._//  
  
Blushing as the memory of his first day of high school, and _that_ haircut his mother had insisted on him having, Ken's squeezed his eyes shut as he heard Schuldig laughing in his mind.  
  
_Schuldig!_  
  
//_Primary school...interesting, but no. What's with the outfit, anyway, Weiß? You look like a little girl...how..._precious_._//  
  
_Schuldig, you fucking bastard! Stop that!_  
  
Still laughing, Schuldig gave Ken's mind a vicious little _jab_, and then he was gone. Back to that little corner that he'd claimed for himself, his laughter reverberating through Ken's head. 

**********

It sounded like one of his pickup lines, and Yohji was hard pressed not to laugh out loud at the absurdity of it all. And then he looked over at Aya.   
  
_'Do you believe in magic?'_  
  
The smile on his face vanished as he saw Aya's expression. Tired, angry, and worst of all, at least from Yohji's point of view..._resigned_. As though he actually believed in this mumbo jumbo bullshit that the two crackpot sisters were -   
  
"Yohji. She's serious."  
  
It was like the final straw on the camel's back.   
  
"Like hell! Aya, I can't believe that _you_ of all people would believe that - "  
  
"Think about it, Yohji. How else can you explain half of the things we've seen?"   
  
Yohji stared dumbfounded at Aya. Aya, who seemed to be taking the fact that magic was a very real factor in the matter of their missing teammates as calmly as though he was discussing the weather. Or listening to someone discuss the weather...Yohji sincerely doubted Aya would waste the energy needed to have such a conversation.   
  
Aya, who was listening to Hanako as the woman blathered on about the technical details involved in finding said teammates. _Aya_, the most grounded person Yohji knew. The one person he'd never thought would believe so easily in what these two harpies had to say. Aya...Aya who was looking at him expectantly, his eyes asking Yohji to just _trust him_, goddammit.   
  
Aya, who had just made a frightening amount of sense in his usual succinct manner, as much Yohji would have liked to protest it..  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Aya, I think you and these women," Yohji began, gesturing sharply at Hanako and Kei, "are fucking nuts. But if they can help us find Ken and Omi...I guess I have no choice, now do I?"  
  
Aya's expression didn't change, but Yohji saw the silent thanks in his eyes. Turning away from him, Yohji fixed Hanako with a particularly intent look, green eyes narrowed.  
  
"Magic, huh? How does it work?"  
  
Hanako blushed sheepishly, one hand going to her mouth.  
  
"Um...I suppose that was a bit of an exaggeration on my part, really. It's not so much magic, as it is - "  
  
"It's not magic. It's spiritual power. Power of the mind, and in turn of the body. Magic is just a convenient label for it. It makes dealing with the outsiders like yourselves so much easier when phrased that way. I don't know, nor do I _care_ to know what is you claim to have seen in the past, but what my sister and I are talking about is far different."  
  
Deciding that he _really_ didn't like Hanako's older sister, Yohji refrained from glaring at her. It wouldn't be rewarding if she weren't affected by it.   
  
"Okay, fine. How is whatever you're going to do supposed to work, then? I seem to have left my _Spiritual Power for Dummies_ book at home. Stupid me."  
  
Hiding a smile behind her hand, Hanako stole a glance at her sister before answering.  
  
"It's really sort of complicated, actually. It might take a while to explain everything."  
  
Sighing, Yohji glanced over at Aya, who just looked back, face blank.  
  
"You said something about having to wait until Schuldig's body was stronger before you could try anything, didn't you?"  
  
Kei, looking surprised that Yohji had even been paying attention at that point, gave him an appraising look. For his part, Yohji tried not to think about her eyes wandering over his body. The woman just plain gave him the creeps. It was something about her eyes. Judging by the look in Aya's eyes, he didn't much like her either. Of course, there was also the fact that Aya didn't really like people he didn't know, but...   
  
"That's true. His body is too weak to be able to help us."  
  
"Then wouldn't you say that we have plenty of time for you to explain what it is you're going to be doing to his body? If it wouldn't be lowering yourselves too far to explain such things to us mere mortals, that is."  
  
"Very well. If you insist." Kei said coldly, striding over to reclaim her chair.   
  
A moment later, Hanako took a seat in a chair beside her sister, while Yohji settled into a couch facing them. Aya remained standing, just to the side of the couch, hands clasped behind his back.  
  
"Oh, I do. I really, really do." Yohji said, leaning forward. "I really do insist you explain this whole thing to me, because I just can't fucking see what the hell it has to do with anything right now. It's taking everything I have to keep from snapping. So if you would be so kind?"  
  
"I...see. It begins like this..."

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Bwhahahahahahahahahaha! Erm, I mean TBC... 

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(I also apologize for making my two OC's (and Yohji...>_) sound like a couple of pimps...it was   
totally unintentional, really. All that talk about what to do with Schu's body and all, you know. >_;;)

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End file.
